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9 ways Facebook changed how we talk

Facebook is turning 10 this week. From "friending" to "status update," check out these nine ways the world's largest social network has changed how we talk in the past decade:

9. Tag -- What was once just a child's game is now a way to get people to notice your posts, or to embarrass them by flagging them in unflattering photos.

8. It's complicated -- This ambiguous answer to Facebook's "What's your relationship status?" could apply to almost any romantic entanglement between "single" and "married" and is more interesting than either.

7. Wall -- The idea of a digital "wall" seemed odd at a time when other social networks were promoting pages. Maybe that's why it never really caught on. In 2011, Facebook replaced the Wall with the current Timeline format

6. Share (and overshare) -- The word "share" has always implied a selfless, charitable act. But the more we share our every move and thought on social media sites like Facebook, the more self-centered we can tend to sound.

5. Poke -- The weird Poke feature was sort of a thing in Facebook's early days. Nobody knew what it was for, exactly -- even Mark Zuckerberg. Amazingly, it's still around, but no one really uses it anymore.

4. Like -- Few things have sparked more debate on Facebook than the "Like" button, which debuted in 2009 and soon spread to partner sites. It's now made "like" a noun as well as a verb, as in "I can't believe my cute picture of Fluffy in her Easter bonnet got only three likes."

3. Status update -- Years ago, "status" was a measure of someone's social or professional standing. Then Facebook began asking users to post updates on their thoughts or activities, and "updating your status" suddenly meant more than just moving to a better neighborhood.

2. Unfriend -- By adding an "unfriend" option, Facebook created new shorthand for aborting a friendship or an acquaintance. It's a lot easier to say, "I unfriended Bob" than "I'm not going to be friends with Bob anymore because he annoys me with his daily musings about his toenails."

1. Friend -- Until Facebook came along, nobody used the word "friend" as a verb. Now it's not uncommon to ask a new acquaintance to spell their name so you can friend them on Facebook.

Check out the top Facebook topics of 2013 here, and a look at Facebook's most annoying changes through the years by clicking here.

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